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1991
This is a list of various things that took place in 1991. Significant events Unknown date :*The syndicated AWA All-Star Wrestling ends production January :* 21 - In an infamous match at New York City's Madison Square Garden, the Ultimate Warrior brutally attacks Sherri Martel inside a steel cage following Warrior's loss to Randy Savage (a match in which Sherri repeatedly interfered). Despite the best efforts of multiple referees, officials and wrestlers to restrain Warrior, he continued to attack Sherri, repeatedly choking her and slamming her head into the steel cage before finally culminating his attack by press slamming her to the mat. Even pro-face play-by-play announcer Sean Mooney admitted that Warrior was raging out of control :* 28 - Bruce Prichard makes his final appearance as Brother Love during the character's original run; the final segment, taped and aired the weekend of March 2, sees Love insulting the Ultimate Warrior (who was set to face Randy Savage at WrestleMania VII) before Warrior began destroying the set, chasing Love to the ring and brutally attacking him. Prichard then took a leave of absence from the WWF February :*1 - The Main Event, the WWF's periodic Friday night prime time wrestling special on NBC, airs for the final time :*18 - The format of the WWF's Prime Time Wrestling, which airs Monday nights on the USA Network, changes from its long-familiar format (a talk show moderated by Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan, with introductions of wrestling matches and occasional interviews) to a talk/variety show with an in-studio audience, loosely resembling the WWF's former Tuesday Night Titans program. The new format -- hosted by Vince McMahon, Jr. (later Sean Mooney, Heenan and Lord Alfred Hayes -- will last 10 months March :*19 - The first televised segments of the "Funeral Parlor," with host Paul Bearer, are taped during a show at the Pensacola (Florida) Civic Center, replacing "The Brother Love Show" segment on the syndicated WWF Superstars. The first segment is simply to introduce viewers to Bearer's character and establish him as the new manager of The Undertaker. The second set of tapings, a week later in Las Vegas, feature Undertaker attacking their guest, the Ultimate Warrior, and locking him inside a casket (to start Undertaker's first high-profile feud). Prior to the first television segments, in order to perfect the segment and for rehearsal purposes, several untelevised "Funeral Parlor" segments take place at a house show in Orlando, Florida. April :*27 - The WWF's Saturday Night's Main Event airs for the final time and ends its original run on NBC after six years. It subsequently moves over to the FOX Network for a pair of specials in 1992 before being cancelled. It would return to NBC as a Saturday prime time special on March 18, 2006 May :*3 - The American Wrestling Association holds its final event in Bloomington, Minnesota. In that show's main event, Greg Gagne and Wahoo McDaniel defeat The Destruction Crew (Wayne Bloom and Mike Enos), while Larry Cameron defeats Tommy Jammer and Steve O beats Ricky Rice as part of the undercard June :*12 - Scott Steiner suffers a torn left bicep in an attack by Dick Slater and Dick Murdoch at Clash of the Champions XV in Knoxville, Tennessee :*27 - Former WWF ringside physician Dr. George T. Zahorian is convicted of selling anabolic steroids in a trial in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and sentenced to three years in prison July :*16 - Vince McMahon announces a new mandatory testing policy for anabolic steroids as a part of the WWF's anti-drug program. The testing policy is subsequently criticized due to rarely being implemented by McMahon August *7-11 - New Japan holds its first G1 Climax tournament, which is won by Masa Chono on August 11 in Tokyo, Japan :*26 - The 1991 SummerSlam event, held at New York City's Madison Square Garden, marks the last U.S. WWF television appearance of André the Giant as worsening health problems had ended his in-ring career and were starting to limit his appearances. Also, the Ultimate Warrior was dismissed from the WWF following the conclusion of this event, following what was reportedly a pay dispute and Warrior's threats to no-show for the main event (Warrior and Hulk Hogan vs. Sgt. Slaughter, Col. Mustafa and Gen. Adnan). McMahon reportedly made good on Warrior's demands before firing him after the event. While Warrior would return by the spring of 1992, his departure would result in the quick end of a planned feud with Warrior and a newly turned heel Jake Roberts; instead, a new storyline is created with Roberts turning his attention to Randy Savage and Miss Elizabeth September :*10 - Ric Flair makes his WWF debut in Cornwall, Ontario October :* André the Giant makes his final appearances for the WWF in his lifetime, and are part of the organization's tour of England. In these final appearances, he aides Davey Boy Smith in his matches against Earthquake, with whom André had been feuding. In his second-to-last televised appearance, André helps Smith in eliminating Typhoon (Earthquake's tag team partner) from a battle royal at London's Royal Albert Hall (during the main event of that evening's card) :*21 - The tipping point in the quickly escalating feud between Randy Savage and Jake Roberts takes place at a television taping at the Allen County War Memorial arena in Fort Wayne, Indiana, when Roberts, after beating down Savage and tying him in the ring ropes, allows a viper to bite Savage's arm. The incident airs a month later on the WWF's syndicated television programs and is censored (with a large, red "X" covering the screen), but is controversially aired uncensored on the USA Network. The incident, in storyline results in Savage being reinstated as a wrestler and will set up a match at the "This Tuesday In Texas" pay-per-view event on December 3 :** During the same television taping, Ric Flair directly confronts Hulk Hogan for the first time on television, during a segment of the "Funeral Parlor." The segment ends with a sneak attack by The Undertaker, followed by Roddy Piper and Randy Savage coming to Hogan's aid; this segment is viewed by fans as one of the few times five of wrestling's most iconic superstars could be seen onscreen at one time. The segment airs one week before the Savage-Roberts confrontation :*23 - Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan face off for the first time in Dayton, Ohio; Flair wins by countout November :* For the second time in less than a year, WWF Prime Time Wrestling changes formats, from a talk/variety show to a roundtable discussion moderated by Vince McMahon, Jr. The new format features two heels (usually Bobby Heenan and Curt Hennig) and two faces (Gorilla Monsoon and a rotating wrestler) discussing and providing point-counterpoint arguments over WWF matches, wrestlers and storylines. The new format remains in place until Prime Time is cancelled in January 1993 and replaced by WWF Monday Night Raw December :*2 - Shawn Michaels turns heel during a segment of "The Barber Shop," suddenly superkicking his tag team partner Marty Jannetty during the segment. The turn was the tipping point of an angle where the Rockers (Michaels and Jannetty) were going through a rough stretch and miscommunication was causing several losses; with "Barber Shop" host Brutus Beefcake mediating, the two seemed to resolve their differences before Michaels made the superkick that jumpstarted a superstar's career. A feud was planned to begin after the segment airs -- the two will continue to team, with the storyline bickering continuing until the segment airs in early January 1992 -- but Jannetty is fired in January for drug possession, before the first matches can take place. While Jannetty would return later in 1992 and be modestly successful, Michaels is in the meantime placed in several high-profile matches that will only boost his potential as a superstar :*3 - The only "This Tuesday In Texas" pay-per-view event is held, originating from the Freeman Coliseum in San Antonio, Texas. :*6 - Dynamite Kid announces his retirement at the final card of the 1991 edition of the All-Japan World's Strongest Tag Team League in Budokan, Japan. Also, Terry Gordy and Steve Williams become the first team to win back-to-back World's Strongest Tag Team League tournaments :*28 - Pacific Northwest Wrestling's TV program, Portland Wrestling, ends production after almost 39 continuous years as a weekly program due to the bankruptcy of its main sponsor. Portland Wrestling began airing on July 10, 1953 on Portland station KPTV, which was the show's home for most of its time on the air (except for a period from 1955 to 1967 when it aired on KOIN-TV in Portland). It aired live on Saturday nights for most of its run and was the highest-rated local TV show in Portland for many years. Subsequent to the show's demise, the syndicated WWF Superstars of Wrestling took over Portland Wrestling's former time slot http://kptv.home.comcast.net/~kptv/programs/wrestling.htm Births Unknown :*Johnny Wave (in Peterborough, Ontario) :*Terry Ring (in Irwin, Pennsylvania) :*White Tiger (in Murfreesboro, Tennessee) January :* 9 - Heidi Lovelace (in Lafayette, Indiana) :*28 - Mary Elizabeth Monroe (in Fairfield, Ohio) February :*19 - David Starr (in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) March :*29 - Brittany Blake (in Blackwood, New Jersey) April :*29 - Veronica Lane (in Texas) May :*13 - Scarlett Bordeaux (in Chicago, Illinois) :*25 - James Raideen (in Auckland, New Zealand) June :*30 - Will Ferrara (in Queens, New York) July :*11 - Ashton Vuitton (in Chicago, Illinois) August :*9 - Alexa Bliss (in Columbus, Ohio) :*13 - Nadia Sapphire (in Cardiff, Wales) :*17 - Jenny Rose (in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) September :*13 - Bryan Keith (in Houston, Texas) October :*5- Freddy Stahl (in Germany) November :*15 - Dylan Bostic (in Morristown, Indiana) December :* 8 - Sarah Bäckman (in Stockholm, Sweden) Deaths April :*23 - Frank Williams 51 June :*30 - Duke Keomuka 70 August :*15 - Hiroshi Tazuhama :*15 - Tank Morgan :*25 - Vivian Vachon September :*12 - Chris Von Erich 21 (Suicide) October :*31 - Gene Anderson (Heart attack) November :*10 - Dick the Bruiser 62 (ruptured blood vessel) :*12 - Ripper Collins December :*25 - Wilbur Snyder 62 Debuts Unknown date :*Michael Modest May * 5 - Hayabusa November :*20 - Disco Inferno Events March :*21 - WCW/New Japan Tokyo Dome show August :*7-11 – New Japan G1 Climax November :*16-December 6 - All-Japan World's Strongest Tag Team League Pay-Per-View events January :*19 - WWF Royal Rumble February :*24 - WCW WrestleWar March :*23 - WWF WrestleMania VII May :*19 - Fall Brawl 1991 July :*14 - WCW The Great American Bash August :*26 - WWF SummerSlam - "A Match Made in Heaven, A Match Made in Hell" October :*3 - Battle Royal at the Royal Albert Hall :*27 - WCW Halloween Havoc November :*27 - WWF Survivor Series December :*3 - This Tuesday In Texas :*29 - WCW Starrcade - "BattleBowl / The Lethal Lottery“ Title changes January :*The NWA World Tag Team Championship, held at this point by Doom (Butch Reed and Ron Simmons), is renamed the WCW World Tag Team Championship; The American Bulldogs are awarded the SAPW Tag Team Championship when previous champions The Fantastics go on tour with All Japan Pro Wrestling :*7 - Arn Anderson wins the NWA World Television Championship from Tom Zenk in Perry, Georgia. The title is renamed as the WCW World Television Championship shortly afterward :*11 - Ric Flair defeats Sting for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship in East Rutherford, New Jersey. He is also considered the first WCW World Heavyweight Champion at this time :*19 - Sgt. Slaughter defeats The Ultimate Warrior for the WWF Heavyweight Championship at the Royal Rumble in Miami, Florida February :*7 - Vince Torelli is awarded the SAPW Heavyweight Championship (SAPW claims he won the title on this date in a fictitious tournament final over Chris Chavis in Nassau, Bahamas) :*18 - The Steiner Brothers (Rick and Scott Steiner) win the WCW World Tag Team Championship from the Fabulous Freebirds in Montgomery, Alabama (this was aired on tape delay on WCW Power Hour on March 9, following WrestleWar 1991) :*22 - The Fantastics win the SAPW Tag Team title from the American Bulldogs in Belford, South Carolina :*24 - The Fabulous Freebirds win the WCW World Tag Team title from Doom at WrestleWar in Phoenix, Arizona. The Freebirds' title reign has the distinction of having a negative length of -6 days, as they lost the belts to the Steiners before winning them from Doom at this event (see above) March :*11 - Jerry Lawler wins the USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship from Terry Funk in Memphis, Tennessee :*21 - Tatsumi Fujinami defeats Ric Flair for the NWA World title in Tokyo, Japan (WCW does not recognize this title change until 1992) :*24 - Hulk Hogan wins the WWF title from Sgt. Slaughter at WrestleMania VII in Los Angeles, California; The Nasty Boys (Brian Knobbs and Jerry Sags) wins the WWF Tag Team Championship from The Hart Foundation (Bret Hart and Jim Neidhart) at WrestleMania May :*19 - WCW World Champion Ric Flair regains the NWA World title from Tatsumi Fujinami in a title vs. title match at WCW SuperBrawl I in St. Petersburg, Florida; Bobby Eaton wins the WCW World TV title from Arn Anderson at SuperBrawl June :*3 - Steve Austin wins the WCW World TV title from Bobby Eaton in Birmingham, Alabama July :* Chris Chavis is awarded the SAPW title :*2 - Ric Flair is stripped of the WCW World title when he is fired from WCW by then-president Jim Herd following a contract dispute :*7 - The NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Championship, last held by Steve Doll, is held up following a match against Ron Harris in Eugene, Oregon :*14 - Lex Luger defeats Barry Windham for the vacant WCW World title at The Great American Bash 1991 in Baltimore, Maryland; Luger later vacates his WCW United States Heavyweight Championship with the World title win :*18 - The WCW World Tag Team title is vacated after Scott Steiner suffers a bicep tear following an attack by Dick Murdoch and Dick Slater at Clash of the Champions on June 12 :*July 29 - Awesome Kong (not the former TNA Knockout) wins the USWA title from Jerry Lawler in Memphis August :*12 - Jerry Lawler regains the USWA title from Awesome Kong in Memphis :*17 - Billy Jack Haynes wins the vacant NWA Pacific Northwest title in a full-nelson challenge over Steve Doll in Portland, Oregon :*25 - Sting wins the vacant WCW United States title in a tournament final over Steve Austin in Atlanta, Georgia :*26 - Bret Hart defeats Curt Hennig to win the WWF Intercontinental Championship at SummerSlam in New York City; The Legion of Doom (Animal and Hawk) win the WWF Tag Team title from the Nasty Boys at SummerSlam; The Dragon Master wins the USWA title from Jerry Lawler in Memphis :*31 - Manny Fernandez wins the SAPW title from Chris Chavis in Pembroke, North Carolina; The Stormtroopers are awarded the SAPW Tag Team title in Pembroke due to previous champions The Fantastics no-showing a scheduled title defence on August 24 in Wentworth, North Carolina September :*2 - Jerry Lawler regains the USWA title from the Dragon Master in Memphis :*5 - The Enforcers (Arn Anderson and Larry Zbyszko) win the vacant WCW World Tag Team title in a tournament final over Rick Steiner and Bill Kazmaier at Clash of the Champions XVI in Augusta, Georgia :*8 - The NWA strips Ric Flair of the NWA World title after he signs with the World Wrestling Federation :*14 - Steve Doll regains the NWA Pacific Northwest title from Billy Jack Haynes in Portland :*28 - Rip Oliver wins the NWA Pacific Northwest title from Steve Doll in Portland October :*12 - Demolition Crush wins the NWA Pacific Northwest title from Rip Oliver in Portland. Oliver announces his retirement after the match as the result of a neck injury suffered when Crush put the full nelson on him en route to winning the title :*13 - Tommy Angel and Tommy Seabolt win the SAPW Tag Team title from The Stormtroopers in Lincolnton, North Carolina November :* The SAPW title is vacated when previous champion Manny Fernandez leaves SAPW :*19 - Dustin Rhodes and Rick Steamboat (subbing for an injured Barry Windham) win the WCW World Tag Team title from the Enforcers at Clash of the Champions XVII in Savannah, Georgia; Rick Rude wins the WCW United States title from Sting at Clash of the Champions :*25 - Kamala wins the USWA title from Jerry Lawler in Memphis :*27 - The Undertaker defeats Hulk Hogan for the WWF title at the Survivor Series in Detroit, Michigan December :*2 - Jerry Lawler regains the USWA title from Kamala in Memphis :*3 - Hulk Hogan regains the WWF title from The Undertaker at This Tuesday In Texas in San Antonio, Texas :*4 - Hulk Hogan is stripped of the WWF title due to controversy surrounding the previous two title changes. This was aired on WWF Superstars of Wrestling on the weekend of December 7 :*7 - The USWA title is declared held up following a match between champion Jerry Lawler and Kamala broadcast live on USWA Championship Wrestling on Memphis station WMC-TV :*9 - Kamala regains the vacant USWA title by beating Jerry Lawler in Memphis References See also Category:Wrestling Years